DEFENCE OF MRS. WOLLSTONECRAFT GODWIN, 
‘ofhis publication on the state of Ken- 
tucky. Mrs. Godwin’s strong preju- 
dices against the indissolubility of mar- 
' riages, as being a condition of union in- 
consistent with the nature of man, were 
in all probability strengthened at this 
particular time : for it will be recollected, 
first, that her connexion with Mr. Im- 
lay took place in France ; and, secondly, 
that it took place at a period when the 
subject of marriage was discussed in the 
- national councils of that country, the dis- 
eussion producing throughout the re- 
public a very material, and certainly a 
very lamentable change in the opinion 
_ of people on this serious and important 
Ppabject. Her prejudices then, already 
eo it will be acknowledged were 
bably strengthened bythe almost uni- 
versal coincidence of the public opinion 
_ with her own as to the dissolubility of 
the marriage union. ‘To these prejudices 
was superadded a reason why she should 
not marry Mr. Imlay: she was in some 
"pecuniary difficulties, and the generosity 
_ of her nature shrunk from the idea of in- 
‘volving the object of her attachment in 
r Own embarrassments. 
» The author of the little volume before 
us dwells on this last circumstance; now 
fe must very well know, that it affords 
t the shadow of an excuse for Mrs. 
odwin’s connection with Mr. Imlay, 
houch it was a very sufficient and ho- 
nourable reason why she ought not to 
aarry him; and he disclaims the for- 
- as an extenuating circumstance, 
mely, the consideration of the country 
‘where, and the period when, the inti- 
macy took place, on the false ground, 
that “as a foreigner, Mrs. Godwin could 
ng way be influenced by the wild theo- 
ies of an insane people to contemn legal 
metions, if she had deemed such essen- 
‘of her connexion.” Foreigners are as 
Subject to the laws of the country, in 
which they chuse to reside, as natives; 
but ‘the statement, it is very obvious, 
has nothing to do with the case: for al- 
though marriages in France are now more 
easily dissoluble than they were for- 
Merly, no laws were ever passed in’ that 
country to prevent marriages from being 
Olemnized. The extenuating circum- 
ance is the encreased confidence in her 
eviously conceived opinions on the sub- 
“ject of marriage, which Mrs. Godwin 
derived from the prevalence of similar 
Opinions, among those with whom she 
_ Ann. Rev. Vor. II. 
| 
7 
YA 
7 
F ; 
ly requisite, to confirm the morality 
497 
was in the daily habit of conversing, and 
this, which is properly the only extenuat- 
ing circumstance, the defender of Mrs. 
Godwin has thought proper to disclaim, 
while he dwelt upon another which he 
knew had no connexion with the ques- 
tion } 
How does this gallant defender then 
apologize for the unsanctioned inter- 
course which took place between Mr. 
Imlay and Mrs. Godwin? As Mr. Imlay 
eventually proved to be the most un- 
feeling and cold-hearted of all cold-heart- 
ed and unfeeling men, our author saga- 
ciously supposes that, in order to have 
won the affections of Mrs. Godwin, he 
concealed the deformity of his mind, 
“that he either assumed a character that 
was not natural to him, in order to im- 
pose upon her generous unsuspecting 
heart, or that she viewed him through a 
very fallacious medium.”’ It is not very 
likely, indeed, that any woman should 
fall in love with a monster undisguised. 
Now for the apology; “ when Mary 
Wollstonecraft gave to this second per- 
son an interest in her heart, she seems to 
have adopted the most efficacious mode 
of removing all traces of her formez at- 
tachment, and of obviating its recurrence. 
I am induced to, believe that she admit- 
ted the acquaintance of the latter per- 
son, in order to fix her affections, in con- 
sequence of her relation to him, rather than 
imagine that her affections were transe 
ferred from Mr. F. to him, prior to 
the commencement of their intimacy.”” 
Ve are by no means certain that we 
comprehend the meaning of this exculpa- 
tory statement, the words which we have - 
printed in italics are to us utterly unin« 
_telligible ; in order toavoid misconstruc- 
tion, we shall state our conception or 
misconception of its géneral meaning. 
In the first place, Mrs. Godwin is re- 
presented as having formed a connec 
tion with Mr. Imlay as the most efficaci- 
ous mode of removing all traces of her 
former attachment to Mr. F. If this 
is true, what a compliment she paid 
Mr. Imlay! Himself is not the object of 
her affections, but she fries to love him 
for the purpose of obliterating a dearer 
attachment; but whether true or not, 
what an idea does the apologist convey 
of the delicacy of Mrs. Godwin’s senti- 
ments, and the refinement of her feel- 
ings ! 
We by no means intend to vindicate the 
> Soar this lady, with respect to her 
